The perfect growing season in Napa Valley and Sonoma County, the 2019 vintage was characterized by moderate temperatures throughout the spring and summer that allowed for the ideal growing conditions; consistent and steady. We began harvest on August 21 followed by unseasonably cool weather that allowed for most of the fruit on our Estate to remain on the vine for an additional week or two.

This extended hang-time was great for the maturation of flavors and overall quality of the fruit. Harvest kicked into full swing in early September and was completed on October 20, about two weeks later than the previous year. The combination of a perfect growing season and a long harvest allowed for the fruit to demonstrate clean, mature flavors with wonderful balance and acidity. The 2019 wines will show great elegance, yet with concentrated flavors that possess finesse for years to come.

About 40% of the Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon were grown on a mountain top at nearly 1,500 feet of elevation in the Atlas Peak sub-appellation of Napa Valley. The soils are derived from weathered igneous rock that spread uniformly through the vineyard and offer a high drainage capacity, which regulates vine vigor. Consequently, the grapes grown on this site have intense color, pure fruit flavor, and structured fine tannin, producing wines with great structure and verve.

The remaining 60% of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon were harvested from two of our favorite valley floor vineyards in Napa Valley - one in Rutherford, and one in Calistoga. These grapes introduce notes of blueberry, plum and bright cherry to the blend. Even though these 2 vineyards have very distinct terroirs, their rocky soils with high drainage capacity, grant us small size berries, with great flavor intensity, responsible for the concentrated flavors and supple structure of this blend.

The grapes used to make this wine were hand harvested at night, and promptly brought to the winery. 100% of the fruit was hand-sorted, first the clusters, all the way down to individual berries. The grapes were placed in two different vessels: small temperature-controlled fermentation tanks (70%) and 500-liter French oak puncheons (30%) - they were cold soaked for three days, and then fermented, using only indigenous yeasts. Fermentation times varied from 30 to 48 days, as some lots were given extended maceration time, to add texture to the mid palate and soften the tannins We blended 55% Tempranillo with 45% Cabernet Sauvignon to create a wine with amazing depth of fruit and a unique aromatic profile. This wine was bottled in June of 2020 and underwent 24 months of bottle aging before its release.

This limited-production wine is at once silky and robust, earthy, and luscious, with complex notes of plum, cassis, plum & black cherry, and a hint of dry tobacco and mocha, enhancing the fruit notes. The finish is long and fleshy, with velvety, powerful tannins. In the glass, it reveals an intense, deep crimson color, the result of the unique combination of these two varietals. Named for the muses of Pygmalion and Salvador Dali, Galatea is a blend inspired by the two legendary wine grapes of our native and adopted lands and truly a complex beauty that will age gracefully for 10- 15 years.